Виктория Холт - The Captive

“Where is the farmhouse?”

“Oh … just along the coast. It’s still there. A bit of an old ruin. They were going to put it right when this happened After that they just let it slide. Nobody would want to live in a house where there’d been a murder. Well, I’m talking too much. William says I always do.”

“It’s been very interesting.”

“Well,” she said proudly, ‘it’s not every place that’s had a murder committed on its doorstep, you might say. Mind you, it’s not everybody as wants to hear about it. When it happened people didn’t want to talk about anything else. “

My feelings were mixed as we came out of the inn. I was a little depressed by the opinion she had expressed of Simon. Apart from that, I had been excited to talk to someone who had actually lived near him at the time all that happened. I suspected that she had no doubt of his guilt. I was afraid that would be the general verdict. He had damned his case by running away.

As we rode off, Lucas said: “You seemed to enjoy our garrulous hostess. Did you find it so absorbing to gather a little local colour?”

“I did find it interesting.”

“Murder fascinates most people. It is the mystery of this one. Though is it so mysterious?”

“Why? What do you think is the truth?”

“It’s clear enough, isn’t it? He ran away.”

There was nothing I dared say. I wanted to shout out:

He’s innocent. I know he’s innocent. It was hard to stop myself.

I was tired when we reached Trecorn Manor. I had so looked forward to seeing Perrivale Court, but I had discovered nothing and it had been brought home to me what a strong feeling there was against Simon. Of course I had heard only one person’s opinion. But always against him would be the fact that he had run away.

I was having one of my cosy sessions with Nanny Crockett. The twins were having their afternoon nap which, said Nanny Crockett, was good for them. It was Ellen’s free afternoon and she had gone to visit her parents in a nearby village.

I was learning a little about Nanny Crockett’s background. She had come from London to take up her first post in Cornwall.

“It was a bit of a wrench at first,” she said.

“Couldn’t get used to it. Missed all the life. Then you get your little ones and they starts to mean something to you. I got quite caught up with the place, too . the moors and the sea and alt that. You want to have a look at the place while you’re here. It’s worth looking at.” i I was telling her I enjoyed my ride.

“We went a long way Near to a place called Upbridge. Do you know it?”

“Know it!” cried Nanny Crockett.

“I’d say I know UprI bridge. I lived in the place at one time. I was close to itj before that.”

“Did you know Perrivale Court?” She was silent for a moment. There was a strange east, press ion on her face which I did not understand. Then she said: “I should think I do. I lived there for nigh on eight years.”

” You mean . in the house! ”

“I do mean in Perrivale Court, Miss.”

“You really lived there!”

“Well, I was nanny to the boys, wasn’t I?”

“You mean Cosmo … Tristan … Simon … ?”

“I do. I was there in the nursery when little Simon was brought in. I remember that day. Never to be forgotten. There he was, handed over to me. Sir Edward said, ” This is Simon. He’s to be treated like the others. ” And there he was… a little scrap of a thing. I could see he was frightened bewildered like, so I took him by the hand and said, ” Don’t you fret, lovey. You’re with Nanny Crockett and everything’s all right. ” Sir Edward was pleased with me and that was something rare, I can tell you. He said, ” Thank you. Nanny. Look after the boy. He’ll feel a little strange at first. ” We took to each other .. Simon and me… from that moment.”

I could scarcely suppress my excitement.

“What a strange thing to do to bring a child into the house like that. Was there any explanation?”

“Oh, Sir Edward wouldn’t give explanations. He was the one who said what was what and that was the end of it. If he said the boy was to be in the nursery, that was where he would be.”

Tell me about the boy. What was he like? “

“A nice little fellow … sharp as they come. Pining he was for someone he called Angel. I could only think it was his mother. I got little scraps from him … but you know how it is with children. They don’t always see things the way we do. He talked about Angel and there was an Aunt Ada who struck terror into his little heart. It seemed they’d buried Angel and he had been brought to Perrivale then. He couldn’t abide to hear the church bells toll as they did for a funeral. I found him once hiding under the bed … hands over his ears, to shut out the noise. He’d thought this Ada was going to take him away … and then Sir Edward had brought him to Perrivale.”

There was nothing I dared say. I wanted to shout out:

He’s innocent. I know he’s innocent. It was hard to stop myself.

I was tired when we reached Trecorn Manor. I had so looked forward to seeing Perrivale Court, but I had discovered nothing and it had been brought home to me what a strong feeling there was against Simon. Of course I had heard only one person’s opinion. But always against him would be the fact that he had run away.

I was having one of my cosy sessions with Nanny Crockett. The twins were having their afternoon nap which, said Nanny Crockett, was good for them. It was Ellen’s free afternoon and she had gone to visit her parents in a nearby village.

I was learning a little about Nanny Crockett’s background. She had come from London to take up her first post in Cornwall.

“It was a bit of a wrench at first,” she said.

“Couldn’t get used to it. Missed all the life. Then you get your little ones and they starts to mean something to you. I got quite caught up with the place, too . the moors and the sea and all that. You want to have a look at the place while you’re here. It’s worth looking at.”

I was telling her I enjoyed my ride.

“We went a long way. Near to a place called Upbridge. Do you know it?”

“Know it!” cried Nanny Crockett.

“I’d say I know Upbridge. I lived in the place at one time. I was close to it before that.”

“Did you know Perrivale Court?”

She was silent for a moment. There was a strange expression on her face which I did not understand. Then she said: “I should think I do.

I lived there for nigh on eight years. “

“You mean … in the house!”

“I do mean in Perrivale Court, Miss.”

“You really lived there!”

“Well, I was nanny to the boys, wasn’t I?”

“You mean Cosmo … Tristan .. Simon … ?”

“I do. I was there in the nursery when little Simon was brought in. I remember that day. Never to be forgotten. There he was, handed over to me. Sir Edward said, ” This is Simon. He’s to be treated like the others. ” And there he was … a little scrap of a thing. I could see he was frightened … bewildered like, so I took him by the hand and said, ” Don’t you fret, lovey. You’re with Nanny Crocked and everything’s all right. ” Sir Edward was pleased with me and that was something rare, I can tell you. He said, ” Thank you.

Nanny. Look after the boy. He’ll feel a little strange at first. ” We took to each other … Simon and me … from that moment.”

I could scarcely suppress my excitement.

“What a strange thing to do to bring a child into the house like that. Was there any explanation?”

“Oh, Sir Edward wouldn’t give explanations. He was the one who said what was what and that was the end of it. If he said the boy was to be in the nursery, that was where he would be.”